NAPOLEON, Ohio — The Napoleon girls basketball team is getting set to play in the State Final Four in Dayton.
The Wildcats were just hours away from playing in the state semifinal game last season in Columbus, but the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, they will finally get their chance to try and redeem themselves of the missed opportunity.
It is one thing to talk about getting back to this stage, it's another to actually do it.
This Napoleon team has faced a ton of pressure to try and replicate what they had accomplished last season.
"I can remember everything from that day, the day before and the day after," said senior Taylor Strock. "I don't think anyone can understand what it felt like unless you've been through it. Just the fact that it took our whole childhood to get to that point and sacrificed so much. That's why it feels ten times better getting back this year."
"All season we felt the pressure and we've tried to not let it affect us," said senior Caely Ressler. "Everybody in this town has been talking about this team for a year now. Just the fact that we made it back there and accomplished all of those goals just felt like a relief when that buzzer sounded on Friday. We finally made it."
"Hopefully the kids can just relax and play," said head coach Corey Kreinbrink. "There's been so much pressure and attention on them for the past 12 months, especially this year. We just want to go, have fun and enjoy it. The fact that we actually know that we're playing is a big deal for us."
The Wildcats will face off against Dayton Carroll on Friday, March 12 at 11 a.m.